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Thursday, 15 September 2016

Press Release: HG Bishop Angaelos attends Freedom of Religion or Belief High Level Conference in Berlin, opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and
Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox
Church (Europe)

Media
and Communications Office

HG
Bishop Angaelos attends Freedom of Religion or Belief High Level Conference in
Berlin, opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel

15
September 2016

The Second International Parliamentarians’ Conference, organised by
the German CDU/CSU party, took place from 12-13 September 2016 in Berlin, and
brought together over 100 members of parliament from 60 countries to discuss
the advancement of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) around the world.

The Parliamentarians’ conference was followed by a High Level
Conference in the German Bundestag, with participants including members of
parliament, leading academic figures, religious leaders, including His Grace
Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United
Kingdom, and members of the public. The German Chancellor, Dr Angela
Merkel, gave the welcome address, in which she spoke of the importance of
parliamentarians continuing to champion FoRB in all the countries that they
represent.

Throughout the conference, speakers highlighted that the need to
address FoRB violations that increasingly occur due to the rise of religious extremism,
intolerance, and violence across many parts of the world was a global
responsibility, also pointing to the positive role that religion can play in
promoting social cohesion where intolerance has led to division within
communities.

Speaking
from Berlin, Bishop Angaelos said:

“I am
attending this conference as a religious leader because I feel that freedom of
religion or belief is an issue that is important for all, whether it concerns
Christians or anyone else. Religious freedom is a God-given right that we as
people of faith must always advocate for, because it intrinsically protects the
freedom and dignity which God desires for all humanity indiscriminately as His
creation.

While
listening to all those who have spoken today it is becoming more and more
evident that the breadth and complexity of this issue is one that challenges us
all, and requires our collective energy and effort to continue to shed a light
of hope in what sometimes appears to be overwhelming darkness.

We must actively and prayerfully continue to support every
effort that represents and speaks for those deprived of the right to speak for
themselves.”